Strap This On!

[diablo175]

Never really gave much consideration to guitar straps (other than they must have appropriate designs) until the double neck Cali arrived.   Not long after, as my back got a bit more <ahem> sensitive to some heavier guitars, I started thinking about ways to make it more bearable rather than unload otherwise perfectly good guitars.

Right around the time I was noticing the weight of the Attila Iceman, I came across this Fender neoprene padded strap. There was a sale, I bought one. I highly recommend it. The guitar is still heavy but I can shoulder it for a great deal longer with this strap. Also comes in 3 " wide version.

ETA- my ONLY criticism is- it doesn't seem to have as much room for adjustment so, if you like your guitar slung high up on your rib cage, you might want to double check before buying.

 

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/0990694206--fender-swell-neoprene-guitar-strap-2-inch

 

 

 

 

Edited November 13, 2025 by diablo175

[django49]

Sounds like a good value......I have a Mono "Betty" strap that would seem to be in the same mode. Works great for me with heavier guitars. Downside is that they appear to have gone up a lot in price since I got mine.

Gibson made some great leather straps with really thick padded cushioning. Latigo leather, soft garment leather backing with 1/2" thick memory foam. One of my favorites ever for comfort with a heavier guitar or long sessions. They were pretty expensive and you had to  break them in like a baseball glove and neatsfoot oil. But once you did.......Feels good like a well broken in leather jacket.....Long time since I have seem one, so they are probably discontinued. IF you CAN find a Gibson "Modern Vintage" it is worth checking out.

This looks like a great alternative.

[scottcald]

Levys has some padded easy adjustment straps that are padded and garment leather. 
 

https://a.co/d/6vIh6fr

[velorush]

6 minutes ago, scottcald said:

Levys has some padded easy adjustment straps that are padded and garment leather. 

When I finally bought a Les Paul I found I needed a wider and padded strap. It's not terribly heavy for a Les Paul (9 lbs. 6 oz.), but heavy enough. I had a 3" padded Levy's for my bass and bought this one for the Lester. It works well enough weight is no longer an issue. Only problem is it will not fit in a case.

[scottcald]

When I had an LP (over 10 lbs), I bought a wide strap that’s thick. It was great for that. I think I still have it. 
How do we end up with so many guitar straps?

[diablo175]

5 minutes ago, scottcald said:

How do we end up with so many guitar straps?

If you're like me, it's because you have that many guitars and can't be bothered to swap straps between guitars.  

[Stike]

I bought one of these recently and like it a lot.

https://www.cablefreeguitar.com/products/zero-gravity-strap-for-guitar-bass

[scottcald]

2 minutes ago, diablo175 said:

If you're like me, it's because you have that many guitars and can't be bothered to swap straps between guitars.  

Yeah, went down that road for a while. But now I have I don’t know, 20 straps. 🤣

[diablo175]

1 hour ago, scottcald said:

Yeah, went down that road for a while. But now I have I don’t know, 20 straps. 🤣

To be fair, I have more straps than guitars now, as well.

But if you think selling guitars is difficult in this economy... 

...I don't know of a thriving pre-owned guitar strap market.   

[diablo175]

1 hour ago, Stike said:

I bought one of these recently and like it a lot.

https://www.cablefreeguitar.com/products/zero-gravity-strap-for-guitar-bass

Please tell me it's one of these! 😄

 

[django49]

Oh by the way, it appears there are some of those Gibson straps still out there.....Cannot guarantee these are exactly the same as those I got a decade ago, but they look identical. And it appears you can sign up and get 10% off.

https://www.creamcitymusic.com/gibson-the-modern-vintage-mini-guitar-strap-black/

[scottcald]

11 minutes ago, django49 said:

Oh by the way, it appears there are some of those Gibson straps still out there.....Cannot guarantee these are exactly the same as those I got a decade ago, but they look identical. And it appears you can sign up and get 10% off.

https://www.creamcitymusic.com/gibson-the-modern-vintage-mini-guitar-strap-black/

Is there much padding on those or is it just a slightly wider bit that the thin strap slides through?

[django49]

7 minutes ago, scottcald said:

Is there much padding on those or is it just a slightly wider bit that the thin strap slides through?

Mine has "1/2 inch thick memory foam". Again, the leather is thick and stiff, so some break in really helps out with added comfort.

[scottcald]

46 minutes ago, django49 said:

Mine has "1/2 inch thick memory foam". Again, the leather is thick and stiff, so some break in really helps out with added comfort.

Thanks, always saw those but never in person. 

[django49]

On 11/14/2025 at 10:35 AM, django49 said:

Mine has "1/2 inch thick memory foam". Again, the leather is thick and stiff, so some break in really helps out with added comfort.

Update.....Got a chance to check one out. The new Gibson straps are NOT the same  as my old ones (from a decade or so ago). They are smaller, the leather does not appear to be as nice and the whole strap (at the padding) is about 5/8" thick, where the original was about 7/8". So, it appears the padding is more like 1/4" than 1 /2". You can definitely feel the difference.

FWIW, I think the originals were either $99 or $119 list way back when, so maybe  you get what you pay  for. Seems like a decent option. But if you want to buy one, at least be aware of the difference.